la_belle_laide (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
la_belle_laide) wrote2005-08-15 01:01 am
la_belle_laide) wrote2005-08-15 01:01 am
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The Life Aquatic
So I finally got to watch The Life Aquatic. I expected, and got, Wes Anderson's usual brand of gentle weirdness and quiet humor, but this movie was even more than that. In fact, it completely shocked me in some places. It was almost a cold movie, chilly at least, detached but weirdly effective.
I found the special effects cute, light-hearted without being disingenuous or coy. I liked the random David Bowie songs song in Portugese. Bill Murray was his usual deadpan, perfectly timed self and I love him for it. And Cate Blanchett was perfect, but then, is she ever anything else?
I was utterly shocked at the death of Owen Wilson's character because I went into this movie totally blind, with only the most basic idea of what it was about, and no clue of what would happen to anyone. I did, however, totally like the way that scene was handled. The way it's set up is perfect, Zissou just having shown Ned the letter he had saved, and then they see the pink fish so you know the shark is there, and then the chopper goes down and it is actually a very upsetting scene, but yet I wondered up until the last second, my gosh, how are they going to get out of this one? The shark is out there! I'll bet Eleanor rescues them! But she doesn't. The blood on the camera lens actually kind of gave me a moment of sinking horror and Owen Wilson's fading voice almost made me cry. You just don't often get to see him do scenes like that. It was such a difference from the first scene. And, because I am Trauma Whore the scene where Bill Murray carries him onto shore all tragic and wet and dead was so effective I had to watch it twice, even though it made me so sad. Clearly there is something deeply wrong with me.
Also, when we finally do get to see the jaguar shark, it couldn't have been any more touching. If they had used the high tech effects that are traditional these days, it would have been overbearing and stupid. As it was in this movie, it was just sweet and magical.
God, I really liked this movie in unexpected ways. I highly recommend it.
I found the special effects cute, light-hearted without being disingenuous or coy. I liked the random David Bowie songs song in Portugese. Bill Murray was his usual deadpan, perfectly timed self and I love him for it. And Cate Blanchett was perfect, but then, is she ever anything else?
I was utterly shocked at the death of Owen Wilson's character because I went into this movie totally blind, with only the most basic idea of what it was about, and no clue of what would happen to anyone. I did, however, totally like the way that scene was handled. The way it's set up is perfect, Zissou just having shown Ned the letter he had saved, and then they see the pink fish so you know the shark is there, and then the chopper goes down and it is actually a very upsetting scene, but yet I wondered up until the last second, my gosh, how are they going to get out of this one? The shark is out there! I'll bet Eleanor rescues them! But she doesn't. The blood on the camera lens actually kind of gave me a moment of sinking horror and Owen Wilson's fading voice almost made me cry. You just don't often get to see him do scenes like that. It was such a difference from the first scene. And, because I am Trauma Whore the scene where Bill Murray carries him onto shore all tragic and wet and dead was so effective I had to watch it twice, even though it made me so sad. Clearly there is something deeply wrong with me.
Also, when we finally do get to see the jaguar shark, it couldn't have been any more touching. If they had used the high tech effects that are traditional these days, it would have been overbearing and stupid. As it was in this movie, it was just sweet and magical.
God, I really liked this movie in unexpected ways. I highly recommend it.